How to Harvest and Store Corn

It takes a lot of room to grow corn - you'll need about 130 plants if you want to keep a family of four in fresh ears for the summer. But once you've tasted corn that's only minutes away from the plant, you'll never want that supermarket stuff again.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Baskets
• Gardening Gloves
• Large Pots
• Plastic Storage Bags
• Pot Holders
• Tongs
• Pot holders

1. Test your crop by puncturing a kernel or two. If the juice runs milky rather than clear, the corn is ready for picking. (The time from planting will vary depending on the variety of the corn, your climate and this summer's weather, but start checking 18 to 21 days after you see the first silks.)

2. Snap each ear from its stalk with a sharp, downward twist. Leave the stalk in place; it may produce another, smaller ear.

3. Pick only as much as you plan to eat immediately.

4. Rush to the kitchen, quickly remove the husks and plunge the ears into boiling water.

Tips & Warnings

• More than any other vegetable, sweet corn tastes best when it's fresh from the garden. The minute it's picked its sugar content starts turning to starch. This is the case even among the new, sugar-enhanced varieties, though in them the conversion process is a bit slower.

• If you've managed to grow more corn than your family and friends can eat over the summer, remove kernels from their cobs and freeze them for use in soups, stews and vegetable medleys over the winter.